Edward clark



(No ModeL) E. CLARK.

LIFE SAVING RAFT.

No. 585,508. Patented June 29, 1897't INVENTOR aM/a.

ATTURNEYS ATENT OFFICE.

EDYARD CLARK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-sAvlNc RAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,508, dated June 29, 1897. Application filed November 12, 1896. Serial No. 611,832. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD CLARK, of New York; city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Life-Saving Raft, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved life-saving raft for use on marine vessels in case of emergency, to permit a number of persons to keep yafloat and propel the raft to a place of safety.

1t relates to that form of raft in which parallel elongated floats or buoyant chambers are connected together by an intermediate framework; andit is designed to provide a very simple, strong, and practical construction of raft of this type.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an inverted plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the sides of one of the floats, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged trans- Yss verse section of one of the floats on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The improved life-saving raft is provided with a boat A, preferably made in the shape of a flat-bottomed row-boat, as indicated in the drawings. On the sides of the boat A are arranged floats B B, each made straight and secured by straps C betweenl the rails A and cross-beams A2 of the boat A, the said crossbeams extending under the bottom of the boat, as plainly indicated in the drawings.

Each of the floats B is made square in crosssection at or near its middle and rectangular in cross-section from the middle to the ends, as indicated in the drawings. Each ioat is set on edge, so as to present a V-shaped bottom to the water, the lower portion of each float extending a suitable distance below the bottom of the boat A, so that the said bottom is carried at or above the level of the water. (See Fig. 3.) This setting of the V-shaped edge of the iioat also has a special value in relation to the Inode of connecting the floats to the boats, for it brings one set of ends of the encircling straps Cinto a horizontal position for connection to the cross-bar under the bottom of theboat and the upper set of ends into a nearly vertical position for connection with the rail along the upper edge of the boat, thus causing the floats to be connected to the strongest portions of the boat-frame and enabling the boat to safely hold its load without resting upon the water at all.

By the arrangement described the inner sides of the V-shaped bottom of each iloat B stands at an obtuse angle to the horizontal plane of the boat and the level of the water, whereby great stabilityis obtained for the raft.

The floats B are rendered completely watertight and are of such size as to support the boat A and a large number of persons without danger of upsetting the raft. The boat may be provided with suitable seats, oars, or other propelling mechanisms to enable the occupants to propel the boat to a place of safety, it being understood that the boat can be readily propelled through the water, owing to the V-shaped bottoms of the ioats B B.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A life-saving raft comprising a iiat-bottom boat having cross-bars beneath its bottom, parallel floats arranged upon each side of the boat in longitudinal position, and transverse straps encircling the floats and having one set of ends emerging therefrom horizontally and connected to the cross-bars beneath the boat,fand the other set of ends extending upwardly from the top of the iioats and connected to the upper rail of the boat, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A life-raft comprising a fiat-bottom boat having cross-bars beneath its bottom, parallel floats of rectangular cross-section set on the angles and one arranged upon each side of the boat in longitudinal position, and transverse straps encircling the iioats and having one set of ends emerging therefrom horizontally and connected to the cross-bars beneath the boat, and the other set of ends extending upwardly from the top of the floats and connected to the upper rail of the boat, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

EDWARD CLARK.

Witnesses:

Tnno. G. I-Ios'rna, JN0. M. RITTER. 

